YEREVAN SABOTAGING MEDVEDEV’S EFFORTS TO SOLVE KARABAKH CONFLICT

Interview with Azerbaijami MP Bakhtiyar Aliyev.
Q: Official Yerevan, in the face of the spokesman for its defense ministry, has said that Azerbaijan needs to negotiate with Karabakh to return its servicemen in Armenian captivity. Does the declaration, reached between the president of Azerbaijan and Armenia under mediation of the Russian leader not violate the agreement on the full exchange of prisoners of war and bodies?

A: By this step the Armenian side has again demonstrated its destructive position. In addition, this fact demonstrated that Armenia does not fulfill its obligations assumed within the framework of agreements between the Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders about full exchange of war prisoners and bodies reached under mediation of Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev. By this step Armenia is making one more adventure. This means that the position of the Armenian Defense Ministry and the overall Armenian side should be assessed only as adventure.

Q: Can this step of the Armenian side further affect the negotiation process on Karabakh?

A: Though Armenia signed a statement in the presence of the Russian president in Astrakhan, by its step it showed to the world community that it is a party to the conflict, it is an aggressor, it occupied Azerbaijani lands and respectively, the people who went missing during the Karabakh was were killed or captured by the Armenian side.

Q: Can this position be interpreted as the disrespect of the Armenian side towards the Russian president?

A: I believe Armenia has always demonstrated and continues to demonstrate lack of respect to international organizations, including UN, OSCE, Council of Europe. Armenia has always ignored the decisions of these international organizations. In addition, by this step Armenia has also demonstrated its destructive attitude to the Russian peacekeeping mission. In other words, Armenia is sabotaging the agreements reached by the efforts of Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev on the Karabakh settlement. I think the Russian side will duly assess this actions of Armenia.

Q: In a few days after the Astrakhan agreements, Armenia renamed the occupied Azerbaijani city of Agdam. And now Armenia has said Azerbaijan should agree with Karabakh to return its captives…

A: Armenia has established on the historical lands of Azerbaijan and the name of the current capital city Yerevan was once called Irevan, the Sevan lake on the territory of present-day Armenia was called Geyche and so on. The recent actions of Armenian side related to renaming the ancient Azerbaijani city Agdam shows that one should not pay attention to the things coming from the sick imagination of the Armenian side.

Q: Can these actions of Armenia have a negative impact on the possible achievement of a breakthrough in Karabakh settlement in the OSCE summit in Astana?

A: Undoubtedly, this destructive step of Armenia will have a negative impact on the adoption of the resolutions on Karabakh at the OSCE summit. It has already become clear that Armenia is trying to prevent any achievements in the Karabakh settlement at the OSCE summit. But I believe that the Azerbaijani diplomacy has managed to persuade the world community about the need for the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict within the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The world community, in turn, is accepting this reality.

Q: Should official Baku hold direct talks with separatist regime in Karabakh for return of captive servicemen?

A: It is clear that this is the provocation of the Armenian side. Azerbaijan will never take such a provocation. Baku can only take this step when Armenia recognizes that Nagorno Karabakh is an integral part of Azerbaijan. In this case Armenia should withdraw its troops from Karabakh and then Azerbaijan will be able to settle problematic issues with citizens without external interference.

S.M